After being announced over four years ago, a new lifeboat is finally arriving to guard the North Norfolk Coast.

The state-of-the-art Shannon class lifeboat named the Duke of Edinburgh will arrive at Wells Quay on Saturday, October 8 at 5pm.

The boat is carrying with it 15,000 names of loved ones featuring the lifeboat’s letters and numbers - RNLI 13-46 - displayed on the vessel’s hull.

North Norfolk News: Bell ringing ceremony of Wells Shannon class lifeboat RNLB Duke of Edinburgh 13-46, a launch a memory ( LAM) lifeboat at the All-weather lifeboat centre (ALC) in Poole.Bell ringing ceremony of Wells Shannon class lifeboat RNLB Duke of Edinburgh 13-46, a launch a memory ( LAM) lifeboat at the All-weather lifeboat centre (ALC) in Poole. (Image: RNLI/Nathan Williams)

The Launch a Memory lifeboat is named in memory of the late HRH Prince Philip and will make the final part of its voyage home this weekend, accompanied by the station’s current Mersey class all-weather lifeboat Doris M Mann of Ampthill.

The ‘Launch a Memory’ campaign gave people the chance to commemorate their loved ones while helping fund the new vessel and lifeboat station.

Earlier this year, crew members from Wells Lifeboat Station visited the lifeboat centre in Dorset to celebrate the completion of their new lifeboat.

North Norfolk News: A new lifeboat for Wells has taken to the water for the first timeA new lifeboat for Wells has taken to the water for the first time (Image: RNLI)

The naming was to honour Prince Philip’s longstanding commitment to maritime services and lifetime of support to the Queen.

The announcement last September was made 71 years to the day that Prince Philip assumed command of HMS Magpie in 1950 – his very first sea-going command in the Royal Navy.

In a nod to that proud moment, in the summer of 2021 King Charles III attached a plate engraved with a magpie to the new lifeboat, while it was under construction at the RNLI's Centre in Poole.

Last month, the crew of Wells RNLI joined the flotilla on the River Thames on the evening of September 24 on its new lifeboat to commemorate the life and 70-year reign of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

There will be an opportunity for the local community to share the celebration from 4pm on Wells Quay on Saturday, where Blakeney Old Wild Rovers will be singing sea shanties and inviting everyone to join in.

The lifeboat is expected to arrive at 5pm and will give onlookers time to take in the spectacle before it retires to the lifeboat station for further crew training during the following weeks to come.

Although the new lifeboat station is not yet open to the public, further information on when there will be opportunities to see the lifeboat will be released in the coming months ahead.